Lavender plant named ‘Paris Blue’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant named ‘Paris Blue’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching, dense and bushy plant form; and violet blue-colored flowers with showy violet blue-colored terminal flower bracts.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Lavandula dentatacultivar Paris Blue.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lavenderplant, botanically known as Lavandula dentata, and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Paris Blue’.

The new Lavender is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Kulnura, New South Wales, Australia. The objective ofthe breeding program was to create new compact and freely branchingLavender cultivars with large and attractive flowers and good gardenperformance.

The new Lavender originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in August, 1999, of a unnamed selection of Lavandula dentatavar. candicans, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with anunnamed selection of Lavandula dentata, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Lavender was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Kulnura, NewSouth Wales, Australia in 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atKulnura, New South Wales, Australia, since October, 2000, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Lavender are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Paris Blue have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Paris Blue’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Paris Blue’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded        plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching, dense and bushy plant form.    -   3. Violet blue-colored flowers with showy violet blue-colored        terminal flower bracts.

Plants of the new Lavender are most similar to plants of the femaleparent, the unnamed selection of Lavandula dentata var. candicans.Plants of the new Lavender differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavender are more compact than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Lavender and the female parent selection        differ in leaf and flower coloration as plants of the female        parent selection had light green-colored foliage, green-colored        petals and light purple-colored terminal flower bracts.    -   3. Plants of the new Lavender had shorter peduncles than plants        of the female parent selection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Lavender.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Paris Blue’ grown in a one-galloncontainer.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical leaves and inflorescences of ‘Paris Blue’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and following description were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the winter in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse in Lompoc,Calif. for about 37 weeks in 1-gallon containers. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18 to 24° C., nighttemperatures ranged from 16 to 18° C., and light levels ranged from4,000 to 8,000 foot-candles.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula dentata cultivar Paris Blue.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—An unnamed selection of Lavandula dentata            var. candicans, not patented.

    -   Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Lavandula dentata, not        patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About one week at 25° C.            Winter: About two weeks at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About six            weeks at 25° C. Winter: About seven weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Perennial. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly            spreading and mounded plant form. Freely branching, about            twelve main stems each with about three to four lateral            branches; dense and bushy plant habit; vigorous growth            habit. Flowers in verticillasters on crowded spikes with            showy terminal flower bracts.        -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 38 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter:            About 4 mm. Internode length: About 1.7 cm. Strength:            Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Pubescence. Color:            148B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Linear.            Apex: Nearly round. Base: Attenuate, clasping. Margin:            Scalloped; deeply lobed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescence. Fragrance: Very aromatic, pungent. Venation            pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 191A. Fully expanded foliage, upper and            lower surfaces: 189A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:            194A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single flowers in            compact verticillasters on crowded spikes. Freely flowering,            about 90 open flowers and flower buds per spike; flowers            tubular with five lobes; inflorescences with showy terminal            bracts.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout The Spring.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual inflorescences            last about two weeks on the plant and individual flowers            last about three to four days on the plant. Flowers not            persistent, terminal flower bracts persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.            Shape: Oblong. Color: 92A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 3.7 cm. Diameter: About            1.5 cm.        -   Flowers.—Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Depth            (height): About 1.1 cm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused into a tube. Length, lobes:            About 2 mm. Width, lobes: About 1 mm. Shape: Roughly            spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening, upper            surface: 92A. When opening, lower surface: 94D. Fully            opened, upper surface: 91A. Fully opened, lower surface:            91A; towards the margins, 91C.        -   Terminal flower bracts.—Arrangement: About eight in two            whorls at inflorescence apex. Length: About 8 mm. Width:            About 6 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth.            Color, immature, upper and lower surfaces: 155A. Color,            mature, upper and lower surfaces: 91A to 91B.        -   Flower bracts.—Arrangement: Each whorl of flowers subtended            by a flower bract. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 8 mm.            Shape: Elliptic to obovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: 198A.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused into a tube. Length:            About 5 to 7 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Sepal apex: Rounded.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: 194A.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Length: About 14 cm. Diameter:            About 3 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Color: 191A. Texture:            Smooth.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.            Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther            color: 23A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 23A.            Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            3 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 90A. Style            length: About 1.5 mm. Style color: 155A. Ovary color: 145D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lavender have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lavender.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lavender have exhibited good    tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate    temperatures from −2 to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lavender plant named ‘Paris Blue’, asillustrated and described.